City Changes Parking Rules and Enforcement

City of Redmond announced changes to parking rules and enforcement in downtown Redmond effective Jan. 1, 2024. The information is in the latest email newsletter and on the Redmond.gov website.

"Time-limited on-street parking space Downtown and in the Redmond Central Connector public parking lot will change to a two-hour limit to align with citywide parking regulations. Enforcement hours and days will change to 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, effective Jan 1, 2024.

Additionally, parking enforcement will no longer issue warnings and vehicles that are in violation of the on-street parking restrictions will be ticketed."

https://www.redmond.gov/636/Downtown-Parking

Posted by Yoder

OPINION: Central Connector Parking Lot Art

Credit/ City of Redmond, WA,

THE CITY REMOVED PICTURES FROM THEIR WEBSITE OF ALL THEIR ICONIC OUTDOOR ART including "SKY PAINTING" where a large parking lot was painted for all to see from a helicopter. I like "SIGNALS" in the linear park but the taxpayers will have to spend $1M to relocate the "ERRATIC" from the light rail line. 

OPINION: The Redevelopment of Sears Plaza is Something to Ponder

"Redmond is growing faster than many of us imagine, especially in the Overlake Urban Center.  A 14-acre Urban Village coined "Seritage"  will transform  Sears Plaza into office space, a hotel,  residential, commercial, retail and a large park.  High rise buildings are a possibility.  

Click this link to discover the magnitude of this village:   https://www.redmond.gov/595/Seritage

·       The buildings will reach 9 stories and  include both commercial space, hotel and residential units. 

·         When built, the project will generate over 13,000 vehicular trips a day. Currently planned, the developer-funded road improvements are minimal, in fact the traffic study states traffic will improve when the project is completed. The cities of Redmond and Bellevue will bear the burden of road improvements as part of their infrastructure plans)

·         There will be 2,300 parking stalls (vs. around 1,000 today). 

·         There is an already approved project next door (KCC Limited Edition) that will result in 885 homes, 173,000 square feet of office, 28,000 square feet of retail, an 80-room hotel. Adding new, larger project to the area will likely multiply the impacts of this development.

If any of the design assumptions on the project are not correct, it is likely that the traffic gridlock in the area will intensify. The best way to influence the project is to get informed and provide comments to the city either at the meeting or via email. After all, there are 10,000 of us in Overlake today (in Bellevue and Redmond both) and many have a perspective on proposed development and its impacts.

UPDATED: Downtown transit station designing moves forward

Redmond council members still haven't formally approved design and construction of the downtown light rail station but may take action soon once Sound Transit signs off. 

From everything I've read and heard, the west Downtown transit station will be elevated and located near Redmond Town Center in the vicinity of 164th Avenue and NE 166th Avenue. A spur may run towards Half Price Books....I don't know why.  Everyone seems to worry the elevated station being an eyesore - I'll be packing my ear-plugs! 

The east station will be in the vicinity of Maryooor Park. About 1400 parking spaces are planned in and around the Marymoor station, mostly to service Sammamish ridge commuters and future aquatics center users. Nancy McCormick (retired councilwoman of 24 years) says the parking spaces will also benefit Redmond commuters "by unclogging east-west streets."  It is not yet known if the parking will be in two garages or scattered around "the new neighborhood." President Margeson  doesn't care a wit for garage parking.  Two Marymoor developers are lobbying council to allow parking in their proposed buildings but they expect compensation for the lost space.  

Some trivia:  In their reports, city planners name the Marymoor station neighborhood a "sub area."  To personalize the sub area President Margeson's been calling it "Joe's Neighborhood."  Councilmember David Carson enjoys calling it "Marymoor Flats" and was the first to suggest a friendly name. Not so trivial, Councilmember Angela Birney insists on a more "eclectic" look and feel for the new neighborhood.  I totally agree...our city is in sorry need of some personality.  

Bob Yoder

LETTER: Parking lot by Police Station, good alternative to busy Redmond Transit Center Garage

Hi Bob,

Just a quick update: the Redmond Transit Center Garage is filling up by 8:30 most days. If I head for the bus any time after 8:00 am I automatically go to the lot by the police station now, as do several other people. Once the bridge tolling begins, this will get much worse. It is so fantastic that we now have this extra lot to truly support commuting for Redmond residents.

Kathy O'Connor

In this aerial photograph, the parking lot is the elongated circle just west of QFC adjacent 160th Ave.

View Larger Map

Evergreen Hospital announces new emergency department in Redmond's Bella Bottega shopping center

Evergreen's Redmond Medical Clinic and Emergency Department to be located in Bella Bottega

"Evergreen Hospital is pleased to announce it will open a freestanding emergency department in downtown Redmond in 2011.  Ground breaking for the three level, 48,000-square-foot facility is set for May of this year.  (Thirty-six underground parking stalls and nearby parking is planned to service patients and 50 staff.)   

The emergency department will be part of a new Evergreen medical complex that will be built in the Bella Bottega shopping center. The facility will also house lab services and advanced diagnostic imaging; it will also merge Evergreen's two Redmond-based primary care practices - Evergreen Medical Group Redmond and Family Medicine of Redmond.

When completed, the emergency department will have the capacity to provide care for 35,000 patients per year and will open with 16 emergency care exam rooms. Open around the clock, it will be staffed by a team of board-certified emergency room physicians, trauma-trained nurses and social workers.

"Evergreen Hospital has provided exceptional care to the communities in our public hospital district for the past 38 years," says Al DeYoung, president of the Evergreen Board of Commissioners. "We have a responsibility to our rapidly growing service area to provide access to the highest standard of health care, including emergency and primary care."

Evergreen plans to invest approximately $15 million in the project.  An estimated 50 staff members will work the new Emergency Department and clinic.  Underground parking for 36 cars is planned within the building.  For more information go to http://www.evergreenhealthcare.org/.

Do you think there will be enough parking space for this facility and others around it? 

Posted and edited by Bob Yoder
Source:  Evergreen Hospital website